Finding Thirteen
by R.L.Keeper
Summary: When The Doctor regenerates into his Thirteenth incarnation...well...Nardole is certain that everyone can agree this is all Missy's fault... -AU-


**Finding Thirteen**

 **Chapter One**

 _First Breath_

* * *

The first breath after regenerating was always a big one, one The Doctor never forgot the feeling of the sensation of new lungs expanding for the first time as a new face sucked in their first breath was never comfortable, but always memorable.

New eyes opened, blinking repeatedly to get used to the bright lights of the console. _Yes. Good._ Eyesight wasn't too bad... _no wait._ A squint. _Yes. No. Fuzzy._ Apparently this face was glasses-dependant. _Damn_. Probably some form of universal karma or something like it. Did they believe in karma? New lips pulled downwards for a first frown. One of many to come no doubt. _Never mind. Doesn't matter._

The first step forward did not go as planned when the new Doctor discovered the new body's centre of gravity was completely different to those that came before. Looking down, The Doctor discovered why.

"Are those _breasts_ mine? When did _that_ happen?" The Doctor asked almost absently as he…she poked at them lightly. "Don't answer that," was added after a beat to no-one in particular. A single finger pointing at thin air. The console room was empty other than him -her- after all. Bill was gone and Nardole was outside doing...whatever it was he did when out of sight. The Doctor still wasn't entirely sure what the short grumble-bum did when not nagging him... _her_. This was going to take a bit to get used to.

Shifting hi-er weight a bit before moving again, The Doctor began to take stock of things at a slightly faster rate. Hair was, blessedly, not too long. "And still not ginger...come on..." was muttered as hands much smaller than normal patted a much smaller frame down.

It was the step that brought the new Doctor level with the console that pulled the second frown out. H-She bounced a few times on the balls of her feet in too-large shoes courtesy of Twelve. _Still wearing his clothes. Need to change soon. Stop getting distracted._ Pushing the never ending stream of thoughts aside to focus on h..er current issue, The Doctor took a quick peek under the console, frown firmly in place. Straightening h…she turned the frown on the console. "Did you change the height of the console while I was regenerating? Because if you _didn't_ that would mean that _I_ have lost almost an _entire foot_ of height, and I'm not sure how I would feel about that…" unfamiliar hands rested lightly on the edge of the console. It was entirely possible that h…she was now shorter than that bespectacled nay-sayer outside. _Bugger_. He was going to have a field day with this.

Reaching out automatically for the monitor, and finding that her new arms were much shorter than before so she had to shift a foot to the left, The Doctor thanked the universe for small mercies that she didn't have to get on her toes to see her new, very much female, face in it. "Well," she started as fingers pushed lightly on a slightly too wide nose. "It could be worse. No massive chin, old man eyebrows, or," she pushed brown hair back. "No rocket-ship ears," it was a start.

When rocking back on her heels in thought almost sent her tumbling onto the TARDIS floor in a heap The Doctor decided she'd had enough. "Sorry Twelve, love your style, but the shoes _have_ to go mate.." she muttered while kicking the mens shoes off her much smaller feet with barely concealed abandon. It was almost like playing dress-up with a parents clothes, was she really _this_ tiny now? Is this what Missy had gone through after her regeneration? _Bloody hell._ Now she felt bad.

Thirteen had just started studying how young she looked compaired to 'old man' Twelve when the TARDIS door opened and Nardole trundled on in, oblivious as always no doubt.

"Honestly, don't know what you were thinking, parking here, but perhaps it's time to...go...?" Nardole had taken his time actually looking at who he was talking to. Now that he was, in fact, looking at the newly regenerated Doctor he appeared to be having some trouble. "Who are _you_ then? Where's The Doctor? Don't tell me he's already found _another one_ ," the rotund little man grumbled to himself as he shuffled around The Doctor looking for, well, The Doctor.

With a roll of...she checked in the reflection quickly, hadn't paid attention earlier, a pair of dark green eyes, Thirteen watched Nardole as he looked for her previous face. "Doctor?" The clueless Cyborg called out as he leaned on the railing beside the stairs.

"Nardole..." she said patiently. Well, at least she knew she was _patient_ now...that was something. She watched Nardole glance over, he was annoyed, probably. That seemed to be the emotion she brought out in him the most. Or at least Twelve had. Perhaps Thirteen would care more about the feelings-thing than the 'old man' had, but she wasn't sure yet. Some things just needed to be experienced first hand.

"Well at least you know my name, that's a good start," he turned away again before abruptly turning back. "How do you know my name, I doubt _he_ told you," Nardole shuffled closer. There was what Thirteen supposed was meant to be a suspicious glare behind the thick glasses, but between her own poor eyesight and the fact that she was basically his employer, sort of, she just couldn't find it in her to care.

"Nardole..." she repeated. Her eyebrows, much less bushy than before, raised as she waited for the other shoe to drop. He kept frowning at her and then something seemed to twig as he looked her up and down. _Finally_.

"Hold on..." he said after a moment. _There we go._ "Why aren't you wearing any shoes?" Were _not_ the words The Doctor had been hoping for. Eyes closed for a brief moment of strengthening her new patience.

"They were _too big,_ " she told him with a look that she hoped told him he was missing something.

"Oh. Well. Fair enough then. Where's The Doctor got to? Hope he hasn't forgotten you're in here, he does that sometimes," The Doctor was certain her reluctant companion would have continued had she not interrupted.

"Nardole..." she did not like that he was taller than her now.

"Yes?" He looked confused.

" _What_ am I currently wearing?" Thirteen asked him as she smiled tightly at him. She motioned to her attire and waited for him to catch up. Perhaps _not_ telling Nardole that he was about to regenerate had been a stupid idea of Twelve's. The hapless Cyborg _was_ a tad slow sometimes after all.

"Yes, very pretty and-...hold on," there it was. She hoped. "Those are The Doctor's clothes, why are you-?"

"Oh for the _love_ of- why do you think I'm wearing them you daft _Cyborg_ , they're _my_ clothes, there's no one else in here but you and me, _who_ am I?" Her words were quiet, quick, but forceful. And perhaps that was who she was now. _Well. Only time would tell._ That thought gave Thirteen her first smile, though it could also have been a smirk. She couldn't quite decide.

"Doctor, is that you?" Nardole had apparently caught up. He was still sceptical though by the sounds of it. _Was_ that what sceptical sounded like?

"Do you know someone _else_ who wears these clothes and flies around in a time machine?" She asked. _Sarcasm. Good._ She liked sarcasm. _Always fun._

"But you're all... _curvy_ and...short now..." Nardole helpfully pointed out.

" _Really_?" The Doctor asked as she began flitting around the console on autopilot. "Hadn't noticed,"

* * *

 **AN: Okay. So I initially wrote (and posted) this at 2am one night when I couldn't sleep and started wondering what _would_ happen if the Doctor was suddenly a woman after so many regenerations as a man...**

 **For the record: I am not in any way saying this is what I would prefer to happen...while I think it would be tones of fun, to have a female Doctor, I honestly don't care either way so long as they _are_ The Doctor as we recognise them one way or another. If the actor, whoever they may be works and grows on me, like Smith and Capaldi eventually did, then I'll be a happy Rue.**

 ** _I have just gone through this, edited a bit and added a few extra things that it needed._ Not a lot, just a few extra words that made sense to me now I've had some sleep ha ha! **

**As for another chapter, well, I do have something in mind, we'll see...watching these last few episodes _have_ made me want to add some more to this!**

 **To the two who reviewed the unedited after-hours chapter, and all those who followed and faved, thank you for the support!**

 **Until next time~**

 **RLK**


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